Gaining Credits

30 Credits over 3 years | 3 Categories: Formal, Informal, & Practice

The Continuing Education program is designed to be flexible and to recognize a broad range of activities and delivery methods. The goal is to accommodate different individual interests, career goals, learning styles, resources, and geographic locations. To be eligible for credit, a learning activity must contribute to the development of knowledge or skills relevant to the SCO profession such as:

  • General SCO knowledge and competency;
  • technical discipline(s) in which the SCO is certified or another discipline;
  • an SCO’s long-term career growth and development goals;
  • needs of the employer or relevant professional associations;
  • the interests of the SCO; and
  • general public safety or the safety codes system.

Allowable Maximums - More Information

Formal Learning Category:
  • Courses (5 credits max. per course)
  • Conferences (5 credits max. per conference)
  • Webinars (5 credits max. per webinar)
  • Workshops (5 credits max. per workshop)
  • Seminars (5 credits max. per seminar)
  • Attending lectures (5 credits max. per lecture)
  • Council courses to move to another Group or Level of SCO certification. (5 credits max. per course)
  • Preparing course or presentation material (5 credits max. per course or presentation)
Informal Learning Category:
  • Course advising for Council courses (5 credits max. per course, seminar, or workshop)
  • Membership on Council or a Council working group (5 credits max. per Council or working group)
  • Involvement in a professional or industry association (5 credits max. per association)
  • Involvement in code or standard committees (5 credits max. per committee)
  • Being a mentor in a formal mentoring program (5 credits max. every 3 years)
  • Professional writing (5 credits max. every 3 years)
  • Self-study related to employment (eg. reading trade journals) (3 credits max. every 3 years)
  • Volunteering (3 credits max. every 3 years)
Practice Category:
  • Working as an SCO as indicated by a Designation of Powers
    1. Maximum of 9 credits every 3 years;
    2. 3 credits for each year of full time work as an SCO; or
    3. 1 credit for 4 months or equivalent working part-time as an SCO

Examples

See below for examples of how SCOs might report their Continuing Education credits.

1 Hour = 1 Credit

Continuing Education credits are earned and reported based on a very simple formula of one credit per one hour of learning activity up to the allowable maximum.

Maximums

Maximum credits per learning activity have been established to ensure some degree of consistency.

Categories

SCO Continuing Education fits into one of three categories.

Formal Learning Category

Includes attending or presenting courses, conferences, seminars, or workshops. Council courses to move to another Group or Level of certification are eligible.

Informal Learning Category

Includes memberships on committees, sub-councils and working groups, self study, mentorship, and volunteering.

Practice Category

Working as an SCO as indicated by a Designation of Powers.